Can-cap-soldering apparatus



March 20, 1928.

A. E. ROE v CAN CAP SOLDERING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 28,1927 1 N V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS March 20, 1928. 1,663,062

A. E. ROE

CAN CAP SOLDERING APPARATUS Filed March 28. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 20 1928 ALPHE'US E. ROE, 01E OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

CAN-CAP-SOLDEBING APPARATUS.

Application filed March 28, 1927. Serial No. 178,888.

My invention relatesto machines for sealing cans by soldering capopenings thereof. I

The principal .object of s over the fillingthe invention is to provide amachine capable of operating simultaneously upon a plurality-of cans,and

which will perform the ope possible time.- y p Other objects are toheaters for the soldering gfOl quick and accurate p irons upon the work,and

for. rapidly cooling to hold the such cooling.

ration in the least provide efficient irons, to provide ositioning ofthe to provide means the soldered. joints and caps securely in positionduring These and other objects and advantages of the invention will beset forth more fully the following I preferred form of understandingthat the varied, within the description of a the machine, with the form,proportion, and arrangement of the several parts may be limits of theclaims hereto appended, without departing from'the spirit of theinvention as cla1ms.

set forth in said My invention contemplates-the use of a pluralityunits, each mechanism for soldering a tioned "can. It is intended unitconstituting a complete of simultaneously operated similar cap upon a:po s-i that each can, be-

fore being positioned in operativerelation to the machine, shall have ,acap loosely placed over its filling aperture, in properform,

the cans are positioned. I caps whoseperipheraledges have previouslysolder by any suitable proc' but 'it will readily be understood that thebe applied in other ways, as'for pre-formed ring been coated with ess,soldermay example-by positioning a of solder b tween the cap upon whichit rests.

The cans, with the cap and that the solder, shall also be applied beforeI I prefer to use i and the can top s loosely applied over their fillingapertures, and with the solder likewise properly applied, arepositionedone beneath each un Each unit comprises a it of the machine.

heating member, preferably electric, a cylindrical soldering memberheated thereby, and a The latter two members contact with the can cap,ber contactingwith the p holding member. are lowered lnto the solderingmemeripheral portion the I accompanying drawings, wherein of the cap andmelting the solder and the holding member resting upon the center portion of the cap and holding it in position" after the soldering memberisagain elevated, to permit the solder to cool and solidify. Means arealso provided for oscillatingthe soldering; member while in contact withthe cap, tosecure even melting of the solder,=and

for inducing a current ofair to pass over the A 1 cap to, expedite thecooling of the solder.

permits the use ofiron solwhich are considerably less and are lesssubject to invention dering members, costly than copper, deterioration.both in time and labor, and in the quantity of solder used. Although themachine is adapted for use upon any type of cans having soldered caps,it is particularly suitable for capping cans containing gasoline or,otherllo volatile and inflammable liquids, not only because thesoldering members or irons can be heated electrically, but also becausethe time required to. complete the soldering operation is ,so short thatthere is no disadvantageous or dangerous heating of the'contents of thecans. M

A preferred embodiment of invention will now be described fully withreference to I Fig. 1 is afront view, partly in elevation and partly insection, showing two units of the mechanism in inoperative position.

Fig. 2-is a side view partly in section, of

one unit in operativeposition. i Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional detailof the lower portion of one un t'in operative position.

4: is a horizontal view of one'unit, partly in plan and partly insection,certain '90 parts being omitted for the sake of clearness.

. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional detail taken on the-line 5 -5 of Fig-2. lnthe drawings, the reference numeral 1 designates .a'horizontaltubular member extending the entire length of the machine,'by which theseveral units are supported. Laterally extending rigid brackets 2 arefixed to said support 1 and project for Wardly therefrom. These bracketsare ar- 100 ranged in pairs, each'pair supporting one unit ofthemachine. All such units being v It also permits great savings,

supporting identical, a description of one will suflice for all.

- From the outer ends of the brackets 2 are suspended links. 3, whoselower ends are pivotally'connected at 4. with a horizontally disposedtrunnion frame or ring 5. This frame is shown as square, but its'shapeis immaterial. A second trunnion frame 6, pc-

I .sitioned within the outerframe 5, is pivotally connected therewith at7 the latter pivots being located 90 degrees away from the pivots 4 ofthe outer frame 5, as shown in ig. 4. Thus. the inner frame 6 and thepartssupported thereby can swing freely in anydirection, for apur'poseto be described later.

. BAtubuIar heating member 8 is rigidly securedby bolts 9,, nion' frame6, and hangs Fig. 2,ito the inner trundownwardly therefrom This heatingmemberis-preferably madefof cast iron or other suitable metal,

shown.

, and has aproperly insulated electric resist: anceheating coil 10'embeddedin it. The.

endsof said coil extend upwardly through the trunnion frame 6, and areconnected at 11,'Fig.1, with conductors 12 which are led into andthroughthe main supporting tube, 1

to a suitablev source ofelectric current, not

The conductors 12 are, properly insulated, and are preferably encased insuitable flexible conduits 14 between the tube 1 and the heating member8, so that they are well protected. As a further means of protection forsaid conductors, Igprefer to lead" the conduits 14 throughslots 15, Fig.2,

in'the links 3; The heating member 8 is sur- 7 roundedfby a jacket16 I'sulating material, suspended from the trun-.

of suitable heat-innion frame 6 by bolts 17, Fig. 1'.

A tubular soldering member 18, prefer ably, made of iron, is positionedwithin the heating member 8, and is capable of both vertical sliding,movement and horizontal oscillation therein.

This tubular soldering iron extends above the heating member 8 p andthetrunnion frame 6, and is entirely supported by a pair of'cables'19,which pass around drums 20 and are connected'withacounterweight 21. V

cured upon a horizontal rotatable spindle 23 The drums'20 areseextending between the fixed brackets 2. An

arm 24 is secured to the spindle 23 and projects' therefrom, andctheouter ends of the arms of all the units are connected together by ahorizontal bar 25, common to all said arms, by which they may beraisedor lowered simultaneously to rotate the drums 20 and raise or lower thesoldering irons 18.

At least one of thesolderingirons 18 is provided with a handle 26, Figs.2 and 5, eX-- tending forwardly from a cap member 26' secured to theupper end of said iron, by

i which it may be oscillated within the heatmg member 8, the flexibilityof the suspending cables 19' permittingsuch oscillation to the rods ofcourse,

cap31 and hold it in position over the filling aperture 32 in the top ofthe can 33, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The upper. end of said plunger isprovided with a flange 3A,

which rests upon the top of the iron 18 when said iron is in itselevated position, asshown in Fig. 1. A tubular heat-insulating member35 is interposed between the iron 18 and the plunger29, and is suspendedby rods 36, Fig. 2, from the flange 34. The plunger 29 and theinsulating sleeve 35 areadaptedto slide freely within the iron 18, andsaid'iron f is adapted to oscillate about said insulating sleeve,without oscillating the plunger 29, 36 passing through'suitably formedarcuate slots 36, her 26.

' Inusin g the machine, 'a can33 is laced A beneath-each unit, by anymeans not s iown, with its cap 31 in vertical alignment with the holderor pressure foot 30-and the soldering iron 18. It is to be understoodthat the cap 31 has first been properly treatedto coat its peripheralportion or flange 37, Fig. 3, with solder, inamanner well known. in theart, and has been placed in'position over the can filling aperture 32 byhand orby any suitable means, not'shown.

Assuming, then, that the cans have been properly positioned beneath theunits, the bar 25 is moved forwardly and downwardly from the dotted linefull line position.

the iron v18 continues to, descend until its lower end rests upo'n'theflange 3'2 of said cap. The lower end of said iron 'isproperly formed tofit closclyupon' said flange 37. In

the particular form of cap illustrated, the peripheral flange 37 isdownwardly inclined,

land the: bottom face 38 of the iron 18 is inclinedcorrespondingly,asbest shown in Fig. 3; Similarly, the outer bottomcorner of the foot 30is beveled, as shown at3 9,to fit the inclined rim 40 surroundingthecenterportion of the cap. 7

The beveled faces 38 and 39 of the iron18 and plunger foot 30 serveproperly tocenter the device upon the cap, the pivotal'mountiings and 7of the trunnion frames 5 and 6 8 to swing permitting the heating memberin" any direction sufficiently to insure such centering of the foot 30and iron 18, and also to insure an even contact of the latter with theentire circumference of the cap flange 37. The weight of the heatingmember 8 is sufii- Fig. 5, in the cap mem position of Fig.2 to the Thisaction. first I lowers the presser'foot 30 upon the cap 31, and thenfill = and its foot means a.

cient'to causedt'tohang Vertically andistead- I ily,- preventing undueI, swinging when! the foot: 39 and iron 18 aare raised i out'OftCOlllJiLCll' with the cap '31;

As soon as therirons 18-have: been lowered: into contact withthe'capflanges 3?.by op eration of the bar 25, they are givenea fearoscillations, extending throu-glrabont 45 d e greesv of; arc, by meansof the handle 26. This oscillation insures even heating and melting ofthe solder coating upon the cap flanges, producing perfect jointsbetween said flanges and the can tops. The bar 25 is then raised partway, lifting the irons 18 off the caps, but leaving the plungers 29 withtheir feet 30 bearing upon said caps. The bar 25 is held in thisposition for a few seconds, theweight of the plungers 29 holding thecaps 31 securely in position until the solder solidifies, and resistingthe tendency of any gas which may have formed inside the cans to liftsaid caps while the solder is still molten.

The plunger 29 is hollow, as described, 30 is provided with notches 41to permit a current of air to pass beneath said foot and up through thecentral bore of the plunger. This current of cool air,

induced by the rising heated air within the bore of the plunger, passesdirectly over the upper surface of the cap 31, and rapidly cools andsolidifies the solder.

Finally, when the solder has solidified. the bar 25 is raised to itsupper limit, the caps 26 of the irons 18 contacting with the flanges 34of the plungers 29, and lifting said. plungers and their feet 30 ofi thecaps 31. The sealed cans are then removed, by any suitable means, notshown, a new series of cans. with their caps positioned but notsoldered, are placed beneath the units, and the operation is repeated.The entire operation of soldering and cooling need not require tenseconds.

I claim 2-- 1. A can-cap soldering apparatus comprising a heatingmember; a soldering member Within said heating member; connections forflexibly suspending said soldering member independently of said heatingmember; means for raising and lowering said connections to move saidsoldering member to and from the work; a holder member fitted within thesoldering member for linear movement to and from the work; and meansassociated with said members for effecting, their movement with relationto the work, in reversed timely order. I

2. A can-cap soldering apparatus comprising a heating member; asoldering member within said heating member; connections for flexiblysuspending said soldering member independently of said heating member;means for raising and lowering said con nections to move said solderingmember to more than i and from .the work; a holder; member fitted withinthe soldering member; for; linear;

movement to and from the work; means associatedwith said members for:effecting? their movementwithrelation tothe work; 1n reversed timelyorder; and=means for inde-pcn'den'tly oscillating said soldering, mem-=means for raising and lowering said connections to move said solderingmember to and from the work; a holder member fitted within the solderingmember for linear movement to and from the work; and means associatedwith said members for effecting their movement with relation to thework, in reversed timely order.

4. A can-cap soldering apparatus comprising a'heating member; means forsuspending said heating member for universal angular adjustment; asoldering member fitted within said heating member for linear androtative movement therein; connections for flexibly suspending saidsoldering member independently of said heating member; means for raisingand lowering said connections to move said soldering member to and fromthe work; a holder member fitted within the soldering member for linearmove ment to and from the work; means associated with said members foreffecting their movement with relation to the work, in reversed timelyorder; and means for independently oscillating said solderingmember.

5. A can-cap soldering apparatus comprising a heating member; aninterpivoted donble frame in which said heating member is pivotallymounted for universal angular adjustment; a soldering member fittedwithin said heating member for linear and rotative movement therein;connections for flexibly suspending said soldering member independentlyof said heating member; means for raising and lowering said connectionsto move said soldering member to and from the work; a holder memberfitted within the soldering member for linear movement to and from thework; means associated with said members for effecting their movementwith relation to the work, in reversed timely or der; and means forindependently oscillating said soldering member.

6. A can-cap soldering apparatus comprising a pair of brackets; linksdepending therefrom; a frame pivoted in said links; a second framepivoted in said first frame for movement at right angles to the movementofthe first frame; a heating member carried by said second frame; asoldering member fitted Within said heating member for linear androtative movement therein; a rock shaft;

' pulleys on said shaft; flexible lines passing handle for oscillatingsaid soldering memher; a holder member fitted Within thesoll0 deringmember for linear movement; and contacting devices between said'soldering and said holder'members adaptedto' effect their movement withrelation to the WOIk,

in reversed timely order. i .1

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. ALPHEUS

